managing stress

1. Minimising and managing
workplace stress

2. Karakia
Whakataka te hau ki te uru,
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga.
Kia mākinakina ki uta,
Kia mātaratara ki tai.
E hī ake ana te atākura,
He tio, he huka, he hauhunga.
Haumi e! Hui e! Tāiki e!
Get ready for the westerly
and be prepared for the southerly.
It will be icy-cold inland,
and icy-cold on the shore.
May the dawn rise red-tipped on ice,
on snow, on frost.
Join! Gather! Intertwine!

3. This resource will help you

4. What the presentation covers

5. Stress and productivity at work
Karmakar, R. (2017). Guidelines for stress management. Psychology and Behavioral Science International Journal, 3(2): 555607. DOI: 10.19080/PBSIJ.2017.03.555607.

9. Signs for stress at work

10. Understanding the
stress response
• Stress is normal. It is our bodies’ response to help us prepare for challenges
• In today’s world we face many situations that can trigger our stress
response
• We need to make sure we turn off and recover, this is particularly
important as many more people work from home
• Too much stress can be harmful and can lead to burnout
• In small doses, experiencing stress can help us to perform
• Workplace processes and systems can support minimising, managing and
recovering from stress

11. Understanding burnout
• In May 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally
recognized burnout as an “occupational phenomenon”
• Burnout can be defined as the loss of meaning in one’s work,
coupled with mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion as the result
of long-term, unresolved stress
• Burnout can affect well-being and quality of life in various ways. This
can lead to poor physical and mental health, as well as a sense of
isolation from other people. It can also contribute to a loss of
pleasure in activities that used to be pleasurable

12. Reducing the impact of stress
– the three Rs

13. Tank on empty?
Activity
What does stress look
like for me?
How do my thoughts,
feelings or behaviours
change when I’m
stressed or not coping?

14. Finding balance:
Te Whare Tapa Whā
Activity
We can understand our wellbeing
in terms of the balance between
different parts of our lives.
Using the finding balance
worksheets, consider each area
and what you are doing to keep
each of your walls strong.

15. Fuel in, fuel out
• We all face multiple demands on our time and
energy
• Keeping track of how full our wellbeing tank is
allows us to manage these demands, and have
space for enjoyment too
• Recognising what empties our tank, and what fills
it, can help us manage our journeys
• Asking our team members “how are you, really?”,
noticing any changes and having conversations
about those changes are important

16. Checking your fuel tank level
Activity
Look at the frameworks highlighting the different aspects of life we all experience.
Consider which ones impact your life, topping up or draining your tank.
1. Think about the last week – what things happened to fill or drain your tank?
2. Note down what was fuel in, and what was fuel out.
3. Have you got more going out than coming in?
4. What things did you do to help refuel?
5. What supports can you call on to help top you up and reduce emptying your
tank?

17. Activity
• How does your workplace leadership demonstrate
a commitment to eliminating or minimising
stressors and their impact?
• How does your workplace use systems and
processes to identify and manage psychosocial
risks?
• How does your workplace provide opportunities for
people to strengthen their skills and resiliency?
• How does your workplace support workers who
have been impacted by stress?
• What supports and services at work and in the
community could help?

18. RESOLVE
Stressor – driving a truck
What do you see as challenging
about the situation?
What are the signs for you it is
a challenge?
With others (relationships) Worry about keeping everyone
and the horses safe
Feel nervous so get ready very
early
Physically It is physically demanding and
tiring
Feel sick / headache / hot /
frown /
Mentally Start thinking about driving
several days prior
I think about it a lot, running
through the route in my head
Emotionally Anxious Short with my daughter
To your identity and beliefs Very important to keep safe Worried something might
happen

19. How do we manage these challenges?
Stressor Thoughts Feelings Actions
Driving a truck Worried about
getting there and
back safely
Anxious Plan the route
Check the vehicle
Prepare early
Difficult discussion
with a colleague
They might think I am
being difficult
Sad Prepare what I want
to say and what
questions. Think
about where, when
and how.

20. Thinking about our thoughts
• Do I know the facts, or am I guessing what other people think or mean?
• Am I jumping to conclusions about the results of a situation?
• Do I often assume the worst, or think about things in ‘always’ or
‘never’ terms?
• Am I blowing the outcomes and impacts out of proportion?
• Have I looked at times I have succeeded, or only considered my failures?
• Am I taking responsibility for something that isn’t in my control (e.g., other
people’s actions)?
• Do I automatically think I can’t do this, I won’t know how, or I won’t get
it right?

21. Often a combination of both acceptance and change
strategies are needed to resolve stress.
This worksheet will help you/your team come up with
strategies to help accept and/or change situations that
are causing stress. It provides a simple problem-solving
template.
Identifying what we find challenging about situations
and how we think, feel and react helps us identify
what we need to work on to reduce the stress of each
situation.
This worksheet will help you identify challenges, how
you currently manage these situations, and how you
respond (thoughts, feelings and actions).

22. Working backwards to a solution
Step Four:
Develop and agree
on how and by
who action points
were followed up.
Step Three:
Describe together
the steps and
actions that were
put in place that
resulted in the
resolution.
Step Two: Invite
others to add their
input into the
description of the
issue now that it
has been resolved.
Step One:
Choose a realistic
time in the future
when you could
reasonably expect
the issue would be
resolved.

23. Switching on your
relaxation response
Relax | Whakatā is one of the Three Rs that allow you to reduce things that trigger your stress response.
Turning on our relaxation response puts a brake on the physical changes in our body, produced by the stress
response.
What has worked for you in the past?
Switching on your relaxation response helps focus your mind on thoughts or actions that feel good – interrupting
stressful thoughts and feelings. This worksheet introduces breathing and muscle techniques that have been
shown to be particularly helpful for relaxation.
• Basic deep breathing
• Guided breathing
• Progressive muscle relaxation
Activity – choose one of the three activities and follow the instructions to relax.

24. Sleep
• Get some morning sunlight to promote the production of melatonin
• We should prepare to sleep, not try to sleep. Trying to sleep turns on our
stress response
• Having a set bedtime signals to your body it is nearly sleep time
• No caffeine after lunch and limit the consumption of alcohol
• Turn off all screens including the TV at least an hour prior to bed
• Do the dishes, tidy up, turn the lights down, pull the curtains, shower, hot
drink, change your clothes etc
• If you don’t drift off within 20-30 minutes, get up until you feel sleepy
again. Keep the lights low and do something that is not stimulating your
brain

26. Getting help and advice
There are a range of other resources to support mental wellbeing in the workplace and help people and
workplaces minimise and manage stress. This fact sheet highlights where you can access further support for
yourself or your people.
• Workplace support and resources
• Support to refuel your tank | Whakatipu ake noa
• Support to resolve causes of stress | Whakatika ngā raruraru
• Support to switch on the relaxation response | Whakatā tō waiora
• Phone support
• Directories to find local services

27. Mental Health Foundation
Covid-19 resources
https://mentalhealth.org.nz/search?query=covid